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Things Gamers Do That Affect Their Postures And What They Can Do About It

This is an informative and insightful source for people who love gaming. This piece will help gamers identify common areas with positioning, breaks, forces and even personal health that may be hindering them, while also offering solutions for healthier gaming.

Many times gamers get caught up in the moment, and a lot of time passes by. This is ok if you have the time to put into your hobby, but oftentimes things are happening without the gamer’s knowledge of them. There are things that can affect the gamer adversely causing pain and in some instances disabilities. Having the knowledge of these issues along with simple solutions to fix them is a great way to have positive and relaxing gaming experiences.

The Winners Position

Positioning is important whether you are sitting while you are gaming or you are playing on an interactive console. You never want to put your body in uncomfortable or awkward positions. It is also important to be conscious of your posture and change your position during your gaming sessions if they last extended periods of time.

Posture is everything. If you are sitting then sit straight. Make sure you are providing adequate overall back support while sitting. Leg posture is also important. You want to have enough room to stretch your legs out and arrange them in different positions. Your arms will need to be able to comfortably fall to your sides without interference, and your shoulders should never be hunched over or cramped.

Many gamers never even think about posturing when it comes to their fingers or their wrists, but these are critical areas to target. Make sure your wrists are straight, and try to avoid excessive bending.

Your neck should not be held in awkward positions either. Try to prevent unnatural twisting and bending. Position your screens to where you can look straight at the monitor/television.

Try also to minimize the strain on your eyes. Put your screen in a location with minimal light sources and adjust the contrast settings to an acceptable and comfortable setting to meet your unique needs.

Force and Gaming 101

Gaming has come a long way. Today’s games are a far stretch from the old time Atari games that is for sure! Physical force is used with a lot of consoles today, and knowing how to go light with the amount of force being used is essential. Repetitive

low force movements over an extended time frame can result in injuries.

Force examples are dynamic force (pushing buttons), static force (holding a phone or controller for a long time) and contact force (resting on a hard surface for an extended amount of time). Interactive consoles played over long periods of time also have force involved, and this has to be taken into consideration.

So, what can you do to minimize the effects of force during gaming? That is a pretty simple answer. Use a light touch, maintain relaxation in the wrists and fingers, never rest the palms of your hands or your wrists on hard surfaces and relax your entire arm area while not using them. Never grip the controls too tightly, and take breaks with interactive gaming while also implementing stretching techniques. It is that simple.

Take a Breather

Taking breaks will not only allow you to gain more focus and energy to kick some gaming rear, but it will allow your body a little recovery time. A little will go a long way. When taking breaks you can get up and walk around, go get a bite or a breath of fresh air.

You can also simply change your task, relax while reviewing replays or read up on all of the new cheat codes. It doesn’t mean you have to get up and do jumping jacks; it just means you have to switch your activities from time to time.

Gaming and Your Health

Most gamers know that things like a mouse, game controllers and they keyboard can be linked back to injurers and even disabilities. It is also commonly known that gaming has been linked to epilepsy. Still, gamers game on. If you are noticing certain things like persistent pain and discomfort, tingling, throbbing, burning, aching or stiffness even if you are not gaming then you should see your doctor as these may be signs of a serious condition.

The solution to avoid the onset of such an outcome is relatively simple. You just have to adapt the equipment and surroundings to what you are using them for. For instance, rearrange your furnishings and gaming equipment to encourage a healthy, natural and relaxed posture.

Photosensitive seizures only occur in a very small percentage of gamers, and they are normally brought on by certain images flashing lights or patterns. These seizures are not limited to people with a prior history of epilepsy. They can strike anyone. Knowing the symptoms is critical to a gamer’s health.

These include but are not limited to altered vision, lightheadedness, face or eye twitching, shaking or jerking of legs or arms, convulsions, disorientation, momentary loss of awareness, loss of consciousness or confusion. If you have any of these symptoms, stop playing immediately and call your doctor.

To minimize the risk of an onset you can sit farther back from you monitor or screen, play in well-lit areas, use a smaller screen and do not allow yourself to become over fatigued while playing.

More on Healthy Gaming

Eat right and take adequate breaks that allow you to get up and be mobile. You need to eat right and get plenty of rest. Your body needs exercise, and healthy stress management depends on all of these things. When you are healthy you can enjoy everything more, and gaming is no exception.

Featured images:

License: Image author owned

James Smith works from a fully functioning private home office writing articles, blogs, reviews. He hopes to engage, inform and inspire readers with a new age view on gaming topics.

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Medical Disclaimer

Statements on Get Holistic Health about health issues aren't meant to identify, treat, cure, or protect against illness. For those who have a health problem of any sort speak with your health care specialist. Material shown by Get Holistic Health is for educational purposes only and isn't meant to substitute for the recommendation of a doctor and other medical professional.